The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-11-16
IT IS PAYING IT'S OWN WAY.
The Postal Service Becomes for the
First Time Self-Supporting.

The Postal Service Becomes for the
First Time Self-Supporting.
A Washington dispatch to the New York
Sun says that Postmaster General Villas has
about finished his third annual report. The
generaizations which he has reduced from
the mass Of special and regular reports
made by his subordinates show the surpris-
ing fact that for the first time in the history
of the United States the Post Office Depart
ment is now paying its own way. For sew
eral years the business Of the departing t
has gradually suggested by its increase the
| coming OF time when the postal service
would cease to be burden of expense to
the country. Postmaster General Villas has
from his first day in the department been
anxious to hasten the equilibrium between
| the debit and credit sides of the depart
ment's business, and just as he Is about to
retire from the Postmaster Ceneralship he
enjoys the great pleasure of announcing
that he has made the postal service or the
country self-supporting.
The deficiency for the year ending June
30, 1895, was So, 900,000 That has been re-
duced by S2,950,00O in the year for which
the present report is made, that ending June
80, 1887. This brings the deficiency down
to $3,950,000 The natural increase of bust
ness is certain to lift this deficiency off the
department this current year, and, indeed,
has already done so to large amount But
If this remaining deficiency should not be
wiped out and liberal balance should be
left at the end of the year, it would still be
true that the department is paying ex-
penSes The government mail, which is
simply enormous-for 100000 government
officials in all parts of the country send
good many millions of letters annuauy-is
all carried free. Its proportion OF actual
cost is estimated from trustworthy reports
giving exact amounts handled to be, in
round numbers, 81, 100000 annually, and
this should be credited TO the depa tment.
When the deficiency of s $4,000 existing
the last day of last June is reduced by one
half the point will be reached where self
support is an assured fact.
The Postmaster Generals success is due
TO increase in revenues. Expenses have
rather increased than diminished. The in
crease in the revenue occurs chiefly III the
sale Of stamps. 1t is ordinarily from to
per cent II has been 10 per cent. the past
year. With allowance made for the in
crease caused by growth and multiplication
of population, which is placed at Pr per
cent, it can be seen that the business activ-
ity of the country has been something re-
markaDle, the addition to the revenues of
the department from stamp sales the last
fiscal year having been over $4,000,0O0,
swelling the years total to $44 Geo. 600. 1t
IS cOnndently expected that curing tne
present year the sales will extend well up
toward $50, 100000. One large item in the
unusual sale of stamps has been the use
of the mails to send liquids, such as oils,
salves medicines, samples, etc. Those things
used to be prohibited as articles likely to
damage the contents Of a mail bag i'll case
OF leakage or breakage. Col Villas, after
examining various improved appliances for
packing matter of this kind, decided that
there was absolute safety in opening the
mails to such liquids, and he did so. The
large firms in New York, Chicago, st.
Louis, and other cities, who sell directly to
customers all over the country, have, under
this ruling, made liberal use of the mails
to sell goods, thereby greatly increasing the
revenues of the Post Office Department
About the same rate of increase is expected
TO hold good in this line of mail matter this
year as last.
The special delivery system has not been
a loss, although it has not been a source of
great returns. Something like 100000
letters were handled and about $120, 600 adj
ded to the revenues of the Office. The news
papers are as much as ever a burden TO the
department, SO far as the actual cost of
transportation goes. They make up one
third the mail matter of the country, and
afford but one-fortieth OF the income of the
department. Yet in another year the de-
partnent will be making money enough to
carry them out of its profits